


Pride

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Rest Prompts [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Fluff, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23500840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: Stephen is way too stubborn for his own good; thankfully, Tony is there to catch him when he overextends himself.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Rest Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669489
Comments: 10
Kudos: 148





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cutebutpsyco](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutebutpsyco/gifts).



> Another one of the [rest prompts](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/612982753766555648/rest-prompts):
>
>> **misfit.** getting out of bed too soon, insisting they feel much better, and collapsing / passing out.

_I can do it_ , Stephen promised himself. He'd been lying around and being useless for far too long already and it was time to get up and do… stuff. He couldn't quite remember what he was supposed to be doing but that was okay. It would come to him once he managed to get up and go… somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't his bed.

 _Up_ , he commanded himself. It was only after he'd tried it that he realized that putting all of his weight onto his hands to push himself up might not be the brightest idea he'd ever had.

"Hey, sweetheart, I… whoa, what are you doing?"

Tony's voice cut through the haze of pain. A moment later there were familiar hands on his upper arms, holding him up with an iron grip. Stephen raised his hands to his chest with a whimper and closed his eyes to keep the tears in. They were more out of frustration than pain, really.

"I have to," he started but Tony put two fingers on his lips to keep him from speaking.

"If you next words aren't 'lay back and rest' we have a problem." A sigh. "I know it's killing you on the inside but getting up now would kill you on the outside and I can't allow that. Not after all the trouble we got through in patching you up in the first place."

Fuck, Stephen hated it when Tony teared up. Especially when he was the cause for it.

"Please, lay down again. You're in no shape to get up yet."

"Okay," he whispered and let himself guided down again. He even managed some sort of wobbly smile as Tony kissed his forehead before caressing his face for a moment.

"I'll be back in a little bit. I just have to finish the conference call and then I'm all yours. Maybe we'll watch a movie?" He took Stephen's wrists and squeezed them very gently. "Your hands okay?"

Stephen nodded. The pain was already fading down to the usual faint throbbing he could ignore most of the time.

"Good. See you in a bit." Another kiss, this time on his lips. "Love you."

As always, the words left a warm glow in Stephen's chest. He smiled at Tony and let it only fade after Tony had left the room.

 _Up_ , he told himself again. Things to do, places to be. He felt bad for disappointing Tony but that couldn't be changed. He wasn't as bad off as Tony believed and he had to show it.

This time he was very careful and used his elbows and underarms to brace himself. It went surprisingly easy. Then legs. It took a bit longer to sit up and get them over the edge of the bed but he managed it. He was only breathing a little bit harder and his back was killing him but that was okay. He'd been laying around for too long.

He ignored his inner doctor who screamed at him that this was stupid and the he knew better than to even think about trying to get up.

What did that idiot know? He'd ruined himself with futile surgeries. Stephen had magic now. He could do this.

Feet on the floor. Okay. He could do this. Without his hands and the help of the Cloak - who had left with Tony, the traitor - it was harder than it should be but doable.

See? He was standing up, barely wobbling. He took a step forward.

His vision went black and he could feel himself gasp as if from far away. Only the warm familiarity of the Cloak wrapping around his body kept him from falling down.

"Stephen!"

The next time he opened his eyes he was on his back in bed again, Tony hovering over him, one hand stroking through his hair. His brain didn't do him the favor of not remembering.

"Sorry," he whispered.

He got a very weak but relieved smile for that. "I could scream at you but I would probably have done the same and I don't want to be a hypocrite," Tony said. "Are you now ready to accept the fact that you're not getting up any time soon?"

"You set me up," Stephen realized, unsure of he was supposed to be pissed off or in awe at that.

"I was waiting just outside," Tony confirmed. "We," the Cloak nodded at that, "knew that you would try until you failed. I thought it was better to get it over with quickly."

He should be furious, annoyed at the least. His pride should rear up and demand retribution. Instead he only felt gratefulness. Tony _got_ him like nobody else.

"Thank you." _For getting me. For letting me **try**. For catching me._

"I can't say that it was my pleasure but well, it's done. Rest now. Our movie date still stands by the way. My choice, since you're going to pass out anyway."

He was too wiped out to respond to that apart from a small nod. Tony's gentle caresses accompanied him down to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/614025137139957760/for-the-rest-prompt-misfit-getting-out-of-bed). Thank you for reading! 🦋


End file.
